Adjustable mounting brackets of the prior art have used gimbaled joints and other ball-and-socket joints that hold the mounted object in a selected orientation. These ball-and-socket joints and gimbaled joints, however, typically have smooth engagement surfaces and rely on pressure and frictional engagement between the ball and socket to resist movement of the mounted device away from the selected orientation. These configurations are often victim to uneven and/or excessive pressure in the joint that can break or cause excessive wear on the joint over time. Such excessive joint wear reduces the joint's capacity to securely hold the mounted object without slip or creep away from the selected orientation, thereby eventually rendering the joint ineffective.
Conventional ball-and-socket joints and other gimbal joints typically can only support a limited amount of weight due to the interface at the joint structure. Such weight limit restrictions can often require over-sized structures, which can increase the bracket's footprint and the mounting bracket's cost. U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,859 discloses an improved clamping arrangement for a mounting assembly, but the clamping arrangement still has limitations. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved adjustable mounting assembly for use with, as an example, audio and/or visual equipment and other mounted devices.